Attorney General Dorcas Oduor has come out strongly to defend the Sh154 billion contract awarded for the modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, insisting that her office conducted a thorough and diligent review of the agreement before it was executed. Oduor made clear that the scrutiny applied to the deal was both genuine and comprehensive, aimed squarely at protecting Kenya’s national interests.
Speaking in Nairobi on Friday, June 27, Oduor pushed back forcefully against growing criticism that her office had merely rubber-stamped the deal involving China Road and Bridge Corporation without meaningful oversight. She was emphatic that the Attorney General’s office was not a passive bystander in this process but rather an active participant in scrutinising the contract and carefully evaluating the risks it could pose to Kenya.
On the question of transparency, Oduor maintained that the tender process was conducted openly and in accordance with the law. She noted that all relevant documentation was published through newspaper announcements and official government channels, ensuring that interested parties had reasonable access to procurement information from the outset.
She further assured Kenyans that the final contract signed mirrors the original tender documents in all material respects. According to the AG, no significant alterations were introduced between what was initially advertised and what was eventually agreed upon and executed — a point she appeared to stress directly in response to fears that the terms may have been quietly amended along the way.
Oduor’s statements come at a moment when public scrutiny over the JKIA modernisation project has been building steadily. Critics, civil society voices, and members of the public have raised sharp questions about how a deal of such enormous scale was negotiated and approved, and whether the process adequately served the interests of ordinary Kenyans.
The Sh154 billion contract with China Road and Bridge Corporation has attracted considerable attention partly because of the sheer size of the investment, but also because JKIA sits at the heart of Kenya’s economic connectivity. As the country’s busiest and most significant international airport, it handles millions of passengers and vast quantities of cargo each year, making any major decisions about its development a matter of broad public concern.
With the AG’s office now on record defending the process, pressure will continue to mount on the government to provide full disclosure of the contract’s terms and a clear implementation roadmap. Many Kenyans will be watching closely to ensure that a project of this magnitude ultimately delivers the transformation the country’s premier gateway so urgently needs.
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